A Summer with the Turtles
by insecure-author
Summary: Three sisters run into the turtles by accident one day. The girls' world is turned upside down as they find themselves spending more and more time with the turtles. Each turtle will eventually be paired with an OC. :) This is my first fic ever!
1. Chapter 1: Kinda Lonely

Hazel Suzuki and Hannah Kim walked out of the movie theater and sat on a bench as they waited for Hannah's mom to arrive.

"That movie was absolutely hilarious, dude," Hazel said.

"Amen to that, sista," Hannah joked. "Lemme call my mom and tell her we're ready to go. She's probably at the supermarket just down the street."

"Ok," Hazel said as she began to observe their surroundings. Hannah and Hazel both live in New York City, and they had met in middle school, when Hannah moved to New York from South Korea. When the girls first met, they weren't exactly fast friends. But after a while, Hazel and Hannah got to know each other better and found out that they had a lot in common. Now, at age 16, the girls were closer than ever.

"Hey Hazel, my mom's here," Hannah said, hanging up the phone. They piled into the car as Hannah's mom started driving towards their apartment building.

"I wish one of you girls would quit being lazy and start learning to drive already," Hannah's mom pleaded. "It would really help me out, you know."

The girls shared a glance. "Nah," they both said.

Hannah's mom sighed as she turned onto their street. Once the car was parked, the girls said their goodbyes and headed toward their respective apartments. They lived in the same building, but they weren't neighbors.

Hazel dug into her pocket and found her house key to unlock the door. When she walked in, she heard her two sisters, Alex and Izzy, fighting with each other as always.

With a sigh, she headed into her room and decided to let her sisters figure their issues out on their own. She decided to tidy up her room before getting started on some extra credit summer work. Hazel loved to stay on top of her schoolwork and maintain her straight-A status at school. She found it hard to concentrate, however, with the sounds of her sisters shouting down the hall.

Hazel and her sisters had been adopted when they were all 4 years old. Even though they aren't related to each other, they still feel very much like sisters. They attend the same school, yet each sister tends to stick with their own friend groups. Hazel is technically the eldest, if only by a few months, followed by Alex, then Izzy.

Hazel had always been known as the "smart one," since she is the only straight-A student out of the three sisters. She loves science and math, takes cello lessons, and also plays in the school orchestra. Hannah is pretty much Hazel's only friend, since Hazel isn't the social type.

Alex, however, is a B-student, since her interests lie more in visual arts. She loves to draw, paint, and do animation. One of the more surprising things about her is that she is incredibly strong, even without exercising much. She can easily beat any guy in her class at arm wrestling and won't hesitate to beat someone up who is mean to her or her friends.

Izzy is the cute one, with long brown curly hair and equally cute clothes to match. She loves to do gymnastics and has twice the amount of energy as Hazel and Alex combined. She loves attention, but if you make her mad, she'll go crazy and will attack anyone who gets in her way. Hazel and Alex sometimes joke that she's the Incredible Hulk. But only when Izzy's not around, of course.

The girls' mom, Ms. Suzuki, is an accountant. She's a bit of a workaholic, so she's at the office a lot. When she does happen to come home, she usually spends a lot of time in her home office, trying to catch up. Their dad, Mr. Suzuki, is usually away on business for long periods of time, and isn't usually home.

Hazel listened outside for a while, and concluded that Alex and Izzy were done fighting and had probably locked themselves away in their rooms. Hazel decided that the best thing to do at this point is to let them have space and see how it goes tomorrow. She sat down in the kitchen and made some instant noodles for dinner. She began to get a bit lonely, so she texted Hannah for a while. Once it got pretty late, she decided to go to bed.

* * *

Back at the lair, the turtles were just hanging out, since they finished their patrols a bit earlier than usual. Michelangelo was making something that resembled pizza in the kitchen while listening to music. Donatello was in his lab, as always. Leonardo and Raphael were sparring in the dojo.

"Pizza's ready!" Mikey shouted. "If you don't hurry up I'm just gonna keep it for myself!"

The turtles all rushed to the table and began eating. Even Master Splinter came out of his room to join his sons.

"Good work today on patrols, guys," Leonardo commented, eager to get a conversation going. The lair had been awfully quiet lately, especially since April had gone on a vacation to Europe with her dad for the summer.

"Yeah, I thought I did pretty awesome, especially when I caught those Foot Ninjas by surprise," Mikey said, congratulating himself. "But, uh, you guys did a pretty good job too, I guess."

Raph reached over to smack Mikey on the head, but Master Splinter gave him a look along the lines of 'don't do that or you'll have to do extra training tomorrow.' Raph dropped his hand and decided to just glare at Mikey.

"I do believe that things have been awfully quiet around here," Master Splinter noted. "Your idleness is beginning to take effect on your training. It is important to maintain a balanced life, and that includes a balance between excitement and downtime."

The turtles exchanged glances. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing: What else can you do when you're a mutant turtle that would probably be considered a "freak" by the general public?

"Well, I shall return to my room to meditate for a while before going to bed. I suggest you do the same," Master Splinter concluded before walking out of the room. Left with nothing better to do, the turtles all decided to return to their respective rooms and leave Splinter's words to think about tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2: Knocked Out

Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles, in case that wasn't obvious.

The next day, Hazel had nothing planned, so she spent some time reading a really interesting biology book. Before she knew it, the day was almost over.

"Hey guys, you wanna go out and grab some dinner?" Hazel asked her sisters as they sat on the couch watching TV. "I thought that since we aren't doing anything, we might as well get ourselves out of the house."

"Sure, we'll go. Can we get pizza?" Izzy asked, eagerly.

"I'm fine with anything," Alex said.

"Pizza it is, then," Hazel decided. "Let's go."

The three girls started walking towards the local pizza restaurant. They were enjoying a peaceful stroll and just chatting with each other happily. As they passed by an alley, however, they heard a strange sound.

"Guys, maybe we should walk a little bit faster," Hazel whispered, shakily. The last thing she wanted right now was to get mugged or something.

"No, let's go check it out," Alex said. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

"Uh… guys?" Izzy said, tapping on Alex's shoulder.

"Alex, I honestly don't think it's a good idea for us to be snooping around in a very suspicious-looking alley!" Hazel argued.

"Guys?" Izzy said, more urgently now.

"Honestly, Hazel, why are you so uptight all the time? Can't you see we can handle ourselves? Let loose once in a while!" Alex said, beginning to get frustrated with Hazel.

"GUYS!" Izzy practically screamed. As Alex and Hazel turned around, they realized that they were being surrounded by some wacky ninja brutes with very not-fake looking swords. Hazel looked around, realizing that she had nowhere to run. The ninja dudes were getting closer, and the girls were too terrified to scream for help. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, four figures jumped out of the darkness and started attacking the ninja dudes. When Hazel took a closer look, the figures looked… greenish. Or maybe that was her anxiety messing with her head. Whoever these figures were, they seemed to be trying to save Hazel and her sisters. Before she could thank the mysterious figures, she felt something hit her in the head, and everything went black.

* * *

Hazel woke up, and the first thing that she noticed was the strong smell of sewers.

"Wow, someone needs to get me some air freshener before I pass out again," Hazel said to herself.

"Yeah, sorry about the smell, we're working on that," a male voice said.

"What the…" Hazel sat up abruptly, looking for the owner of the voice. "Who's there?" she asked. Either her vision still hasn't corrected itself or the mystery dude is hiding somewhere.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just checking in on you and your friends," the voice explained.

"They're actually my sisters," Hazel responded automatically. Hazel looked around, and spotted her sisters, seemingly unconscious, on two cots nearby. She was relieved to see that they were okay. "Wait, where am I? Who are you? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure if I can answer that, but I can assure you that you're safe and no one will try to hurt you or your sisters here," the voice reassured Hazel.

"Can you come out so I can see you?" Hazel asked.

"Um, I don't think I can do that while your health is still unstable," the voice reasoned.

"What? Well can you at least tell me your name? I need some answers here," Hazel demanded.

"I'm Donatello," the voice said. "What's your name?"

"Well, Donatello, my name is Hazel."

"It's nice to meet you Hazel."

Hazel was about to comment about the fact that they haven't really _met_ each other considering the fact that she still had no idea what Donatello looked like, but she suddenly felt exhausted and a little woozy.

"I think you should try and get a little more rest before we get you back home. I'll go discuss this situation with the sensei," Donatello said. Hazel barely heard the end of Donatello's sentence before she fell back into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: They're Turtles?

"I think it's alright to reveal who we are to these girls, sensei. From what we've observed, the girls are no threat to us and probably won't reveal anything about us to the public, since no one would believe them."

"A fair point, Donatello. I think it will be alright, just remember to be very cautious with your approach. I will be in my room doing my evening meditation."

"Hai, Sensei."

"I like them, they're pretty. Do you think they like pizza?"

"Shut up Mikey."

Hazel slowly opened her eyes and sat up. She was once again greeted with the lovely smell of sewers. "Seriously, has anyone ever heard of Febreeze?" she said to herself.

"Guys, one of them is awake!" a voice said.

"Yeah, Raph, that's the one that was awake earlier," a more familiar voice said. Hazel remembered this voice belonging to Donatello.

"Hello, yes, I am awake now," Hazel said, looking for the owners of these voices. "Who are you people?"

"Hazel, please don't freak out," Donatello said.

"Why would I…" Hazel began, but she stopped speaking when she saw who, or _what_, was in front of her. They were large, and green (so it wasn't the anxiety playing tricks on her mind), and they had… shells? So they're giant turtles of some sort. They also seemed to be carrying weapons and wearing different colored masks. Hazel was in shock, obviously, but realized that she should probably say something, considering the fact that these turtles were looking at her expectantly and she was just staring back.

"Um… how is this scientifically possible?" Hazel asked.

"Heh, we've got a science nerd here. Donnie, where you at?" the turtle with the red mask joked.

"Hi Hazel, allow me to explain," Donnie said. _So Donatello is the one with the purple mask_, Hazel thought to herself. "We used to be regular pet turtles, but we were affected by a mutagen and now we are mutant turtles, to give you a brief overview."

"Oh, um, ok?" Hazel said, still trying to take everything in. "Um, what are your names?"

"I'm Donatello, but I assume you already knew that," he said. Hazel nodded. "But you can call me Donnie."

"I'm Michelangelo but you can call me Mikey!" the one in the orange mask said, rather excitedly.

"I'm Leonardo, or Leo," the one in the blue mask stated.

"I'm Raph," the red-masked turtle said.

"But his full name is Raphael," Donnie added.

"Shut up, Donnie," Raph said, obviously annoyed by his brother.

"So, your parents must be fans of the Renaissance then, huh?" Hazel joked. The turtles just looked at her. She cleared her throat. "Um, so, this is a bit weird." The turtles just kept staring at her. "Ok, how about we try to wake up my sisters?" Hazel suggested, desperately. The turtles nodded.

They were able to wake Izzy up, only to be greeted by a rather high-pitched scream.

"OH MY GOSH WHAT IS GOING ON?" Izzy screamed. The turtles winced; they knew their sensei was trying to meditate in his room.

"Izzy, please calm down, everything is okay," Hazel said, trying to comfort her sister. After a while, Izzy seemed to calm down, and Hazel guided her through some deep breathing. Yet, Izzy's screams seemed to have woken Alex from her sleep as well. Hazel looked over at Alex, who was clutching the cot with such intensity that Hazel was surprised that the cot didn't snap in half. Hazel went over to Alex and explained to her that everything was okay and that they are in a safe place.

"How about someone tells me what's going on," Alex said, deliberately.

The turtles and Hazel went through the same introductions and explanations again, and after a while, everyone seemed to be a little more comfortable with each other. The turtles also explained that they are ninjas, which is why they were able to save the girls from the Foot Ninjas that attacked them in the alley.

"Well, I hope it's okay that you stay here a little bit longer, we need to monitor your health a little more, just to make sure," Donnie explained.

"I'm sure that's fine," Hazel said. "I'm really impressed with the décor down here, by the way. You have electricity and everything!"

"Yeah, it took a while to set up, but I think it's pretty cool now. It helps us feel a little more human, despite the fact that we live in the sewers," Donnie admitted, smiling sadly. Hazel just nodded. Suddenly, a large rat-like man appeared from one of the rooms.

"Hello. I am Master Splinter, the sensei and father of the turtles. It's a pleasure to meet you," the man said. Hazel detected a slight Japanese accent.

"Hello, I'm Hazel, and these are my sisters Alex and Izzy," Hazel said, bowing to him. Being raised by a Japanese father definitely helped in this case. Master Splinter seemed to appreciate the gesture.

"I assume you would like to rest up before you return to your homes. My only request is that you do not reveal any information about our location or who we are. It is for everyone's safety," Master Splinter explained. The girls nodded and bowed again. The sensei returned to his room after the introductions.

After a while, the girls realized that they hadn't eaten dinner and they were starving.

"Ugh I'm so hungry…" Alex complained.

"Me too. I want pizza so badly right now," Izzy whined.

"DID SOMEONE SAY PIZZA?" Mikey exclaimed, jumping up. "I LOVE PIZZA,"

"I DO TOO!" Izzy shouted, running over to Mikey. "It's my favorite food in the entire world."

"Booyakasha! A cute girl who loves pizza! This day can't get any better!" Mikey said, celebrating. Izzy blushed a deep shade of red that almost matched the color of Raph's mask.

"Let's, um, head to the kitchen then?" Izzy asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah! Race ya!" Mikey said as he took off toward the kitchen. Izzy started doing back handsprings toward the kitchen, leaving Mikey standing in awe. "Whoa, that is SO COOL," Mikey complimented.

"Yeah, and you lost the race. More pizza for me!" Izzy joked.

"Let's go to the dojo! I'll show you my secret kata and also my awesome backflip skills!" Mikey said, grabbing Izzy's hand. As they ran to the dojo, Izzy couldn't ignore a little tug in her stomach while Mikey's hand was in hers. She wasn't sure what it meant; she assumed it was just hunger, and Mikey _was _still holding the pizza. She'd think more about it later.

* * *

"Haha, wow. Of course Mikey would bond with someone based on a mutual love of pizza," Raph mumbled. He glanced over at the pizza box in the kitchen and saw that Alex was about to take the last slice. "HEY!" Raph yelled. Alex jumped.

"What do you want?" Alex questioned, glaring at Raph.

"You're taking the last slice of pizza," Raph stated.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I didn't realize it was against the law to grab some pizza, geez." Alex said, her words dripping with sarcasm. This only seemed to anger Raph more.

"Fine. Let's arm wrestle for it. I want the pizza and you want the pizza; it's only fair that we fight for it." Raph said, smiling. He knew there was no way he'd lose to Alex. That pizza was practically in his grasp already.

"Sounds good. Hey Leo! Come referee this match." Alex said, smirking. Leo came on over to the table as Raph and Alex prepared themselves for the match.

"Ok. Ready… Get set… GO!" Leo shouted, signaling the beginning of the match.

Raph reacted faster than Alex, taking the lead and bending their arms slightly in his favor. He was surprised, though, at how strong Alex really was. His shock turned into anger as their arms bent the other way as Alex forcefully took the lead and touched down on her side.

"YES! ANOTHER WIN FOR ALEX!" Alex celebrated, doing a little dance next to Hazel. Raph, Leo, and Donnie were all staring at her in shock.

"Wow, well, yeah, Alex is the winner, so she can have the slice of pizza," Leo stated, still in awe. Raph wasn't moving. He was sitting there with his jaw dropped, silently watching Alex celebrate with Hazel and eating her slice of pizza.

"That was absolutely impressive," Donnie whispered to Hazel. "Raph's never been beaten at arm wrestling before…"

"Yeah, she's pretty good. I can't imagine what she'd be like if she actually worked out!" Hazel commented.

"Wow. Well, your health seems to be stable enough so that you can go home now," Donnie said.

"Yeah, I was just about to ask if we could go home. It's getting late and our mom might get home soon, so we better head out. I don't want her to worry," Hazel replied.

"I'll take you guys home," Donnie offered.

"Thanks. That would be nice," Hazel said. "Lemme get my sisters. Hey, Alex! We're leaving now!"

"Ok. Let's find Izzy," Alex suggested as she walked toward Hazel. The girls walked into the dojo and found Izzy doing cartwheels and Mikey watching her while he twirled his nunchucks. "Izzy we have to go now," Alex said, rather impatiently.

"Aw, ok. Bye Mikey," Izzy said.

"Bye Izzy," Mikey replied, with a hint of sadness. "Will we see each other again sometime?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Izzy said, and a smile lit up her face. "Um, how can I contact you?"

"With my T-Phone!" Mikey said, holding up a miniature turtle shell with a screen. "I'll give you my number so you can text me!" Mikey wrote down his number and gave it to Izzy. "I'll see you soon!"

"Bye Mikey! I had a lot of fun hanging out with you," Izzy said. Mikey blushed. _Can turtles even blush?_ Izzy thought to herself. They smiled at each other and waved.

"Hurry up already, gosh," Alex said. Donnie finally led the girls out of the lair and into the main part of the sewers so they could head home. Izzy started telling Alex a very detailed explanation of the time she spent with Mikey and how she's glad she's made a new friend who doesn't find her annoying. Alex was about to make a comment, but decided not to. Instead, she just walked alongside Izzy with a vaguely annoyed expression on her face. Hazel and Donnie walked slightly behind the two sisters. They started chatting about their interests and Hazel was pleasantly surprised to find out that she and Donnie shared similar interests in math and science.

"So, you actually have a lab in the lair and you didn't show me?" Hazel asked, pretending to be offended. Donnie laughed.

"Yeah I do, but I don't usually let people in there unless there's an emergency, and plus, my brothers always tell me that it's really lame and stuff," Donnie admitted.

"I understand. My sisters tell me the same thing sometimes. Not that I have a lab in my house, just that it's lame that I like math and science so much," Hazel replied.

"Really? Wow, I've never met anyone that I've had this much in common with! Not that I meet a lot of people anyway. Just April, really…" Donnie said, but seemed lost in thought at the end. Hazel didn't want to pry into his business, but she was really curious.

"Who's April? Is she a human?" Hazel asked, cautiously. She could tell that whatever happened with April was kind of a touchy subject.

"Yeah, we saved her from the Kraang a while ago, and she had to go into hiding with us for a bit while we tried to save her dad. We did, though, so everything's okay. But…" Donnie sighed.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about it. I totally get it." Hazel said. Donnie just nodded.

"Oh, um, we're here, I believe," Donnie observed. The girls all climbed out of the sewer and realized that they were standing right next to their apartment building.

"Thanks so much Donnie. We'll see you soon, then, right?" Hazel asked.

"Definitely. It was nice meeting you guys!" Donnie said as he disappeared back into the sewers. Hazel sighed as she headed back into the apartment, in desperate need of a shower and a good night's sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Raph's Got Some Issues

**Chapter 4: Raph's Got Some Issues**

Donnie arrived back in the lair after escorting the girls back home, only to find Raph still sitting frozen at the table with his jaw dropped.

"He's been like that the entire time?" Donnie asked Leo, while Mikey poked Raph on the head.

"Yeah. He's really out of it. He's not even trying to beat up Mikey!" Leo observed.

All of a sudden, Raph started shouting.

"SHE BEAT ME? SHE BEAT ME! HOW DARE SHE? WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?" Raph yelled to no one in particular as he went through his angry rage. He flipped over the table and was about to do more damage when Leo and Donnie stopped him and got him to calm down a bit.

"I understand that this may be a shock to you, but she won pretty fairly, Raph," Leo explained, cautiously.

"I've never been beaten before…" He said to himself. "THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!"

"You'd think Raph would be turned on by something like that, huh?" Mikey teased.

"NOT HELPING, MIKEY!" Raph shouted, lunging at Mikey and putting him in a headlock.

"I'm kidding! I was only kidding! No need to get all defensive about it!" Mikey pleaded, releasing himself from Raph's grasp. "Unless… it _did_ turn you on! Hahaha! You thought it was hot! Didn't you?" Mikey teased. Raph jumped at Mikey again, but was stopped by Leo. Raph sat down on the couch.

"I did not! I don't know what to think!" Raph said, exasperated. He stormed off to the dojo to take out his anger on some practice dummies.

"Now you've done it, Mikey," Donnie commented.

"I was only teasing, geez." Mikey said, defensively.

"Well now it's only fair to ask how your evening with Izzy went, huh?" Leo said. Mikey blushed.

"She's pretty cool, and nice, and loves pizza…" Mikey said dreamily.

"Looks like someone's got a crush!" Leo teased.

"Don't tell Raph, he'll use it against you!" Donnie said as he joined in, laughing. Mikey blushed even harder and ran off into his room, thinking about the time he spent with Izzy and what it might mean. _Being the target of the teasing isn't as fun as being the one who _does_ the teasing_. Mikey thought to himself as he climbed into bed. _Stupid Donnie and Leo. They don't know what they're talking about_.

* * *

The next day, Hazel woke up and went to the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal for breakfast. She saw that Izzy and Alex were already there, eating bacon and eggs. Hazel sat with them and they started talking about the very strange events that happened the night before, confirming that the entire situation was, in fact, not a dream at all.

"So, you and Mikey, huh?" Hazel said to Izzy, teasingly. Izzy blushed and studied her now empty plate with intensity.

"Yeah, he's really funny and nice, and he always listens to what I have to say," Izzy admitted, smiling. "And he even thinks my gymnastics moves could totally be used in a battle or something!"

"Don't do gymnastics while you're fighting, you should just throw a few punches and knock 'em out fast," Alex explained.

"Yeah, but that's no fun, is it?" Izzy protested. "I was thinking that since we're all just gonna sit around again today, we might as well visit the turtles. I mean, what else were we even planning to do this summer?"

Hazel thought about their new friends and how she never would have guessed her summer would turn out like this. Not that it was a bad summer, it was just strange to think that they had been leading perfectly normal lives one day and then all of a sudden they were hanging out with oversized talking turtles.

"That's a good point. Plus, hanging out with the turtles is more fun than just staying at home, right?" Alex reasoned.

"Yeah, are you and Raph gonna do another arm wrestling match?" Hazel asked, smiling.

"Yeah, he's a great opponent. Puts up a great fight. He was pretty mad, though, since I beat him. He won't let me go so easily this time!"

"You'll do fine, don't worry about that."

Izzy's phone chimed and Hazel jumped. "Sorry, Mikey just texted me back. He says he's meeting us at the same spot Donnie left us last night," Izzy explained as she quickly texted a reply back to Mikey.

The girls headed outside and spotted Mikey poking his head out of the sewers. Hazel quickly remembered something and asked them to wait 5 minutes while she ran to the store. After a while, Hazel returned with a shopping bag, but she wouldn't show anyone what she bought.

"You'll see what it is later," she explained as she climbed after Izzy into the sewers.

"Ugh I thought you'd never show up. I was about to punch the wall cause I had to endure Mikey and Izzy making eyes at each other the entire time. I wanna puke," Alex complained.

"You remind me of Raph, you know," Hazel commented, observing Izzy and Mikey walking together up ahead.

"Shut up, would ya?"

* * *

When Mikey and the girls arrived at the lair, they overheard Leo, Donnie, and Raph arguing.

"Raph, don't you think you're being unreasonable?" Donnie asked.

"You don't understand! I don't want to see her!" Raph responded.

"But you're gonna have to see her eventually, you know," Leo commented.

"I'm ashamed. I thought I was good at one thing, and she's better, and now I don't know what to do with myself," Raph admitted. "IT MAKES ME MAD, LEO!" Donnie and Leo shared a glance. Raph was struggling with his emotions, and they could tell.

"How about you work together instead of competing?" Leo suggested. Raph just glared at the table, as if he was considering snapping it in half.

"Uh, hey guys!" Mikey said, trying to cover up the fact that everyone had heard their little heart-to-heart session. Leo and Donnie jumped and walked over to the girls, but Alex headed over to where Raph was sitting.

"Um, hey Raph," Alex said, cautiously. Raph continued to stare at the table. "Look, I didn't mean to make you feel that way…" Raph looked up at her, but said nothing. "Maybe we could work together on like, training or something. That way, we could help each other out. Damn, I'm no good at dealing with all this emotional stuff but I'm trying ok?" Alex put her face in her hands as she said that. She looked up at Raph after a while and saw that he was smirking at her, just a little. "Hey," she started. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No, I just… thought it was cool… you know… cause I don't, um, know how to really deal with emotional stuff either," Raph stuttered. _Why am I stuttering like some kind of wimp?_ He thought to himself. "I just usually deal with that stuff through my training or beating someone up or something, ya know?" he admitted. _Great, now I'm sharing my _feelings _with this girl. What's wrong with me?_ Raph thought.

"I totally get it. I usually end up beating someone up or doing art," Alex said. She shrugged and added, "But I'm not good at it or anything, you know." She looked down at the table.

"Oh you do art? That's cool. Do you think you could show me?" Raph said. He'd never really been into that kind of stuff or anything, but for some reason he was genuinely interested in Alex's art.

"Sure, you got a pencil and paper?" She asked.

"Yep," Raph said. "I have some in my room. You can come in here." He led her into his room and she sat down in his desk chair as he sat on his bed. She grabbed the pencil and paper and began sketching. As she drew, Raph couldn't help but stare. He liked the way a few pieces of her wavy brown hair fell out of her ponytail and into her face. For some reason, he wanted to reach out and tuck those pieces of hair back behind her ears. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ He asked himself. _Sure, she's hot, but it's not like we're gonna be in some kind of relationship. Come on, I'm a freakin' turtle. _He leaned back against the pillows on his bed, but continued to watch her draw, trying to be discreet about it. He almost had a heart attack when Alex abruptly stood up and walked over to his bed and sat down next to him.

"I'm done," she said, handing him the piece of paper. Raph took the paper and looked at the drawing. It was a sketch of him sitting on his bed, and it was really good.

"Damn, I look good," Raph said. Alex just laughed.

"I know it's not a professional piece of artwork, considering I did it in 20 minutes…" Alex said. Raph just looked at her.

"Are you kidding me? It's amazing!" Raph said as he handed the picture back to Alex.

"Really? Wow, thanks. I don't normally show my artwork to people, ya know," Alex admitted. "You can keep it, though. I can always make another one." She handed the drawing back to Raph.

"Thanks Alex…" Raph said. He felt like a zillion ninjas were doing backflips in his stomach when she smiled at him.

"No problem, Raph. I'm gonna head back out there, though. I wanna grab some food. Ya coming?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll be there in a sec." Raph replied. She nodded and left the room. _Something is seriously wrong with me,_ Raph thought. He took one last look at the picture before tucking it safely under his pillow and followed Alex out the door.


	5. Chapter 5: An Accident

(A/N): Thanks to all of you guys who are taking the time to read this story! It really means a lot to me. I hope you're enjoying it so far! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the OC's and story line.

**Chapter 5: An Accident**

When Alex walked over to Raph to talk, the rest of the turtles and the girls decided to give them some space. Izzy and Mikey ran off somewhere, probably to plot pranks to pull on Leo. Leo, however, decided to go train in the dojo with Master Splinter. That left Hazel and Donnie sitting on the couch, wondering what to do with themselves.

"Hey, how about we go check out your lab?" Hazel asked.

"Sure!" Donnie replied, excitedly. The two entered the lab and started excitedly discussing all of the computers and lab equipment. Donnie showed Hazel some of the stuff he's created, and Hazel helped Donnie work on some new projects. They worked well together and were able to get lots of work done. Donnie seemed to appreciate her interest in his work and her help on his projects.

"Hey Hazel, I'm ready to talk about April, if that's okay," Donnie said, sheepishly.

"Sure! I'm always here if you wanna talk," Hazel said, leaning against a table.

"Okay, well, when we first met April, we were trying to save her and her dad from the Kraang. She was the first girl I had ever seen, and I was instantly infatuated with her. For the longest time, I tried to get her to hang out with me, and get her to see me as more than just a friend, but it never worked. Finally, I worked up the courage to tell her how I felt, but she obviously didn't feel the same. I mean, I'm a mutant turtle. It was rough on me for some time, but now I'm just kind of trying to move on, you know?" Donnie sighed.

"Yeah, I totally get it. I had something similar happen to me, you know. Well, I liked a guy, and eventually I told him, but he didn't feel the same. Well, actually, now that I think about it, no one has ever really _like_ liked me before. But I think I was more hooked on the idea of someone liking me and being in a relationship than the actual guy himself, though. Maybe that's how it was for you. Do you think you were just interested in the idea of a relationship more than the person there?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense. I've never thought of it that way." He paused for a minute. "Thanks so much, Hazel, for listening and stuff," Donnie said, smiling. The two sat in silence after that, but it wasn't awkward. Both of them were just lost in thought.

Suddenly, Hazel remembered that she had brought a bag from the store.

"Donnie! I almost forgot! I got something for you guys." Hazel said, as she grabbed the shopping bag.

"What is it?" Donnie asked.

"Air freshener!" Hazel said, laughing, as she pulled out the bottles of air freshener and presented them to Donnie. "I figured you guys could use some. Unless you really love the smell of sewers."

"No, this is great! Thanks so much, Hazel!" Donnie exclaimed, hugging Hazel. The two laughed and immediately got to work with the Febreeze. When they got to the main area of the lair, they saw that Mikey, Izzy, and Leo were all in the kitchen grabbing food. Donnie and Hazel went to join them.

"Hey, have any of you guys seen Raph and Alex?" Leo asked, looking around. Hazel followed his gaze around the room and saw that Raph and Alex were nowhere to be seen.

"Raph's probably in his room; I'll go check on them," Donnie volunteered. He walked over towards Raph's room and listened for a second before returning to the kitchen. "Yeah, I heard voices in Raph's room. Seems like both of them are in there."

"Haha Raph's in his room with a girl!" Mikey teased. "This is great! I wonder what they're doing in there…" Mikey smirked. Just as he said that, Alex opened the door and walked in, followed by Raph. Izzy didn't hesitate to start asking questions.

"OMG! Alex, you and Raph? No way! Aw that is so cute!" Izzy said, squealing. At the same time, Mikey took the opportunity to poke at Raph.

"Raphael, what were you doing in your room? With Alex? Hmmm? Having some fun?" Mikey teased. As if on cue, Raph and Alex both lunged at their siblings and tackled them to the floor.

"WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING!" Raph yelled as he put Mikey in a headlock.

"STOP GETTING IN MY BUSINESS IZZY!" Alex said, pinning Izzy's arms behind her back. Both Mikey and Izzy were trying to struggle free.

"Wow, you guys are scarily similar," Hazel observed. Raph and Alex looked at each other and immediately released their holds on their siblings. Raph blushed, and Alex just fixed her ponytail and walked to the kitchen to grab some food, as if nothing had happened. Izzy giggled, clearly amused by their identical outbursts.

"Hey guys, why does it smell so good in here?" Mikey asked, sniffing the room.

"Hazel brought us some air freshener. Isn't it great?" Donnie said, excitedly.

"Wow, thanks! It's definitely hard to eat a delicious pizza when the room smells like sewers," Mikey said. Hazel smiled. At that moment, Master Splinter walked into the room and reminded the turtles that it was almost time to go on patrol. "Aw, dang it," Mikey complained. "That means the girls have to go home?"

"Yes, Michelangelo. You and your brothers may escort them home and start your patrols from there," Master Splinter offered. Everyone agreed, and they all began walking back to the girls' apartment building. When the girls arrived back home, they each went to their respective rooms for the night. Hazel sat down on her bed and realized that she had left her phone on her desk the entire time they were in the sewers with the turtles.

"Crap," Hazel said, as she saw that she had 2 missed calls and 5 texts from Hannah. "Ugh, I was supposed to hang out with her today! I completely forgot! I'm such a bad friend," Hazel said to herself as she frantically texted multiple apologies to Hannah. She had a hard time coming up with an excuse as to why she was busy, so she just told Hannah that she had lost her phone and had forgotten that they were supposed to hang out. It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either. She decided that she would make time to hang out with Hannah another time. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"Hazel? Can I come in?" Izzy asked, peeking her head through the doorway.

"Um, sure, Izzy," Hazel replied. Izzy came in and sat on Hazel's bed. "Is there something you need?"

"Yeah, um, can we talk?" Izzy asked, hesitantly.

"About what?"

"The turtles…"

"What? I thought you enjoyed spending time with them, what's the issue?"

"Well, I _do_ really like spending time with them, especially with Mikey, but whenever Mikey gets really close to me or looks directly in my eyes, my stomach hurts. But I don't think it's a bad kind of hurt. Well I think I might puke, actually. I think… I think it's because I like him, Hazel. I _like_ like him. I've only known him for a few days!" Izzy rambled, covering her face with her hands. "Is that totally messed up? Am I crazy?"

Hazel was silent for a minute. She knew exactly the feeling in her stomach Izzy was talking about. Sometimes Hazel felt it whenever Donnie's hand brushed hers when they were using equipment in the lab, or when he laughed at her jokes and sarcastic remarks. Hazel knew that she was closest to Donnie out of all of the turtles, but she had definitely been ignoring her own feelings.

"Yeah, Izzy. I think you do like him. And I think he likes you back. And I think that's great. Go for it," Hazel said, finally.

"It's not weird? Sometimes, I can tell that he's holding back. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm human and he's not. But it doesn't bother me! How can I tell him that?" Izzy asked, desperately. Hazel thought for a minute. Mikey would probably respond best to something that entertained him but could also convey a message. What would he enjoy? Videogames, food, movies...?

"Why don't you guys watch _Beauty and the Beast_ together? It's the perfect movie. Belle falls for the beast even though he's a monster, and it doesn't bother her," Hazel suggested. Izzy's face lit up.

"That's the perfect idea, Hazel! I'll do that sometime soon; I kind of want to give it time. Thanks so much!" she said, getting up to leave. "I think I'm gonna go to bed now, though. I'm kind of tired."

"Alright, good night." Hazel said. She decided that going to bed would be a good idea. She didn't want to stay up and dwell on her _own_ turtle-related issues for too long.

* * *

The girls spent the next few weeks visiting the turtles. With nothing better to do in the summer, they made daily visits to the lair. They were able to get to know the turtles and Master Splinter a lot better and they really enjoyed their company. Everything seemed to be going well, for the time being.

One night, the turtles were out patrolling the city, looking for any possible threats and making sure everything was running smoothly.

"Don't beat me up, Raph, but what is up with you and Alex?" Donnie asked, genuinely curious.

"Would you guys quit askin me about that?" Raph said. The other turtles weren't able to read his expression. "She's just a friend."

"Yeah, a smokin' hot friend!" Mikey said, then immediately started running to avoid Raph's rage. He sprinted to the edge of the rooftop, but hit his foot on a pipe, tripped, and fell off the roof. The other turtles jumped off the roof, only to find Mikey clutching his arm in pain.

"Mikey, are you okay?" Donnie asked, worriedly. He reached out and examined Mikey's arm, causing Mikey to wince. "Looks like your arm is broken. We need to get you back to Master Splinter." Mikey nodded, and the turtles all headed back to the lair.

"Michelangelo, what happened?" Master Splinter asked, worried. The turtles explained what had happened, while Master Splinter and Donnie helped treat Mikey's arm. "It seems to be broken. You must not engage in strenuous physical activities in order to allow your arm to heal properly. That means no more training, and no more patrolling with your brothers, either."

"And no more videogames…" Mikey realized, beginning to get upset. "Now what am I going to do with myself?" No one answered him. Mikey went to his room and texted Izzy (with difficulty, because of his new cast), letting her know about what happened, but it was late, and he wasn't sure if she was still awake. He simply decided to rest and see how he felt tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6: Taking Steps Forward

(A/N): Sorry for making you guys wait so long! Hope you don't hate me. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Reviews are really greatly appreciated; each one makes me so happy! But you don't have to if you don't want to. I just like to know how I'm doing and how I can improve. After all, I am an "_insecure-author_!" Sorry, that was bad. I'll shut up now.

**Chapter 6: Taking Steps Forward**

The girls were getting ready to head to the lair the next morning. Hazel smiled when she saw Izzy stuffing a _certain _DVD in her bag.

"Let me grab my phone so I can call Mikey to tell him to pick us up," Izzy said, walking back into her room. When she came back out, however, she looked incredibly worried.

"Damn, what happened in there?" Alex asked.

"Mikey broke his arm last night while on patrols," Izzy said, worriedly. "So, I guess Raph's coming to pick us up, then."

"Alright, well, let's get going then, shall we?" Hazel pushed, anxious to see Donnie. She had spent the better part of the previous night thinking about how she really felt about that particular turtle. She had finally admitted to herself that she liked Donnie, but she decided that she wasn't going to act on it. _Why act on such illogical feelings?_ She had asked herself. _Scientifically speaking, this is just a weird hormonal imbalance and it will naturally pass, given some time._

The girls left their apartment and found Raph near the entrance to the sewers, hiding in the shadows. He came out to greet them, and once he saw Alex, he started blushing furiously. Hazel followed his gaze to Alex's shirt, which she now realized happened to be a _red_ same shade of red, coincidentally, as Raph's tattered mask. And on top of that, it was one of those *ahem* _lower _V-neck shirts, of course. Not that Alex noticed, or cared, for that matter. But Raph certainly did. Hazel thought he was going to pass out! He was trying so hard to control himself and act as if nothing was going on. Hazel had to make _quite_ the effort to prevent herself from laughing right on the spot. After a moment, Raph hurried the girls into the sewers and hastily led them to the lair.

Once they arrived, Izzy rushed over to where Mikey was sitting on the couch. He was obviously sulking, but his mood definitely improved once Izzy gave him a rather aggressive hug.

"Sorry, Izzy. I can't do anything really fun with this stupid broken arm," Mikey said, sadly.

"It's okay, Mikey! I actually brought a movie for us to watch. You guys have a DVD player, right?" Izzy asked, excitedly.

"Yeah, we do. Donnie found one and fixed it up, but we only have a few movies, and none of them are really good," Mikey admitted.

"Great! Well, I'm sure you'll love this one. It's one of my favorites!" Izzy was practically bouncing up and down at this point. She quickly set up the movie and sat on the couch next to Mikey. Hazel observed that Izzy sat _very_ close to Mikey, in fact. Everyone else seemed to notice, too, and frantically tried to find an excuse to leave the room.

"Hey, Alex, um… me and Leo were actually going to do some training and exercises and stuff… uh, so, would you want to come with us? Um, you don't have to… if you don't want to, I mean," Raph stuttered. He mentally scolded himself for sounding so stupid. Alex agreed to join them, and they left for the dojo.

Donnie and Hazel decided to go to the lab and work on a few projects, and Izzy winked at Hazel before she left with Donnie. _What's that supposed to mean?_ Hazel thought to herself. She shrugged it off and followed Donnie to the lab. She and Donnie were just about to get started on working on projects when Hazel's phone buzzed. She checked it, and saw that Hannah had texted her, asking if she wanted to hang out. Hazel replied, telling Hannah she was busy. She really wanted to keep hanging out with Donnie in the lab, and they had barely started yet. She didn't want to leave so soon. Hazel hoped Hannah wouldn't mind. She sighed and got back to work with Donnie on some improvements to the T-Phone.

* * *

Once Raph, Alex, and Leo got to the dojo, Alex was bouncing with excitement to learn some awesome fighting skills.

"You _have_ to teach me your awesome ninja ways, guys!" Alex said, enthusiastically. "I could totally handle it! Considering that I beat Raph in arm wrestling-"

"That was _one_ time!" Raph interrupted. Alex just rolled her eyes.

"Alex, being a ninja isn't just about strength. It's also about stealth, careful planning, and maintaining inner peace," Leo explained.

"Wow, inner peace, huh? I'm sure Raph's great at that!" Alex said, sarcastically. She glanced at Raph. He was having a conflict with himself, knowing that if he snapped back at her, she'd be right about the whole inner peace thing. So he simply said nothing. Alex smiled, knowing she'd won.

"Well, how about you and me go meditate for a bit? It puts you in a good state of mind before you train," Leo suggested.

"Um, how about no," Raph said, stepping up to Leo. "I'll train with Alex right now, and you can go meditate by yourself. Bye." He shoved Leo out of the dojo, but not before he saw Leo smirk knowingly. Raph turned back to Alex and his mind immediately went blank. He didn't actually know how to train someone, since Master Splinter usually did all the training. But Raph did _not_ want to give up spending time alone with Alex so that _Splinter_ could teach her. He'd figure something out...

"Um, Raph?" Alex said, bringing Raph out of his thoughts. "Are we gonna train now, or what?"

"Oh… yeah, right! Uh, what weapon would you like to start out with?"

"Um, I don't really care. Just, whatever you use, I guess."

"Ok, I'll give you a pair of sais. They're obviously the best weapons. Using them requires close combat and a lot of upper body strength, which you can definitely handle."

"Great, where do we begin?"

"First, we should make sure you have the correct starting grip on the sais." Raph walked a bit closer to Alex and showed her the proper grip for the sais, but soon realized that her grip should be a little different since he only has three fingers. He thought about it for a while, but soon found out he couldn't explain the grip to her. He grabbed his sais in one hand and used his other to guide Alex's hand into the correct position. Raph immediately realized how close they were, and how his _hand was on top of hers_. He froze for a moment, then quickly jerked his hands away. Raph knew he was about to freak out, and then he scolded himself for being wimpy enough to even _think _about freaking out. Then he thought about how he's been using quite a bit of self-control lately. After a few seconds, he resumed teaching Alex the different grips of the sais. _See? This isn't too hard! You don't have to freak out like Donnie or something. Ha! _The pair spent the next two hours training nonstop, and Raph was ecstatic. He was spending time _alone_ with Alex! How could his day get any better?

* * *

Mikey couldn't help but blush as Izzy sat right next to him on the couch after setting up the movie. He couldn't concentrate on anything but the fact that _her leg_ was touching his. He soon realized that Izzy had been talking to him.

"-my favorite movie ever! It's so cute! It's ok if you don't like it, though…"

"Are you kidding? I'm so excited! Let's get started!" He hoped Izzy couldn't see him blushing furiously.

Mikey really enjoyed watching the movie, especially when Izzy sang along to the songs excitedly. He was pretty excited himself when Izzy rested her head on his shoulder. He wasn't sure what to do, so he just decided to put his arm around her. He was pretty nervous about his move at first, but when she snuggled closer to him, he was glad he did it. Once the movie ended, both Izzy and Mikey were pretty tired.

"So, did you like it?" Izzy asked sleepily.

"Yeah, it was great. I see why you like it so much," Mikey said, stifling a yawn.

"I think it shows a great message, you know? Belle doesn't care about what the beast looks like, she only cares about the person on the inside, right?" She yawned. "Kind of like how I like you, just the way you are…"

That last part seemed to have woken them both up. Mikey and Izzy froze, and just stared at each other.

"I… uh…" Mikey stuttered. He could barely hear his own thoughts over the sound of his heart beating wildly.

"Ok, um..." Izzy knew she couldn't back down, not now. She took a deep breath. "Mikey, uh, I've been… thinking, you know… about us. Even though I've only known you for a few weeks, I have come to really like you. Um, it's a _like_ like. Just to clarify, you know… uh, if you just want to be friends, I understand-"

"No, I really like you too! I've just been a big dirt clod and couldn't tell you how I felt. Cause I was so nervous, you know?" Mikey rambled. Izzy's heart was beating probably just as fast as Mikey's was. All she could think was, _He likes me back! He likes me back!_

The two stopped talking and just stared at each other. For the longest time, neither of them moved, holding their breaths, anticipating what would happen next. They were so close to each other, Izzy could count the freckles on Mikey's face. As if on cue, they both leaned in a little bit, closing the gap between their lips. Izzy sighed into the kiss and put her hand on top of Mikey's, drawing patterns on his hand with her thumb. She shifted into his lap and brought her other arm up to his shoulder. Mikey thought his head was going to explode. Without thinking, he put his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. The feeling of Izzy's lips moving against his was incredible. He soon brought his other hand up to her hair, running his hand through her soft curls. After what seemed like forever yet felt like no time at all, Izzy pulled away, smiling.

"Well… that was fun," Mikey said, trying to catch his breath. Izzy giggled and snuggled up next to Mikey, closing her eyes. He figured she was sleepy, so he grabbed a blanket for them to share. Mikey gazed at Izzy's sleeping form for a moment before closing his eyes and succumbing to the power of sleep as well.


	7. Chapter 7: Decisions

(A/N): Sorry for the short chapter this time around! The next ones will be longer. As always, let me know what you think, if you're in the reviewin' kind of mood. :)

**Chapter 7: Decisions**

"YOU WHAT?!" Alex and Hazel practically screamed.

"Me and Mikey… we kind of… you know, kissed…" Izzy said, blushing furiously.

"Hold up, girlfriend. Back it up and give me an explanation," Hazel demanded. The girls had just come home after a day at the lair, and Izzy had been acting a little weird. Naturally, Hazel needed to know what was going on, so she and Alex had confronted her about it. But they definitely had not expected _that_ to be what happened!

"Okay, so after the movie ended, I was tired, and I accidentally let it slip that I liked him, and he said he liked me too. And then… I don't know! It just kind of happened!"

"Oh my god, was it weird?" Alex asked. "You know, since he's a turtle and all?"

"No, not really."

"Ok, how long did you guys make out? Was it like, ten minutes or what?" Alex asked.

"Wow, Alex, you're getting a little detailed there," Hazel pointed out.

"I just wanna know."

"Okay, well, I didn't count or anything, but it was probably a few minutes…" Izzy said, seeming uncomfortable.

"Ok was there tongue, or-"

"OKAY! That's TMI, Alex, thank you very much," Hazel interrupted. Izzy looked like she was about to pass out. "On a less graphic note, what did Mikey say after?"

"He said something like 'that was fun,'" Izzy replied, thoughtfully. Hazel and Alex laughed.

"That is soooo Mikey." Hazel said. Izzy just blushed.

"Then what?" Alex asked, interested in the situation for once.

"Uh, we kind of fell asleep."

"Well, when you guys woke up, what happened?"

"Well I just left, cause you guys were leaving too. I haven't talked to him since. I just don't know what to say!"

"Knowing Mikey, he'll find something to say about it, don't worry." Hazel said. Izzy simply nodded.

* * *

"YOU WHAT?!" Raph, Donnie, and Leo all shouted. Mikey just shrugged.

"I kissed Izzy." He stated, simply. His brothers looked at him in shock. Mikey just smiled, smugly. "Oh yeah."

"I cannot believe Mikey's the first one out of all of us to kiss a girl." Leo said, plainly.

"Damn it, I always thought it would be me, or maybe Leo," Raph said, frustrated.

"Well at least we all know that humans can develop romantic feelings towards mutants like ourselves," Donnie observed.

Mikey just smirked at them all, proud of himself, but secretly freaking out about the entire situation. He couldn't wait until he could see Izzy again.

"Well, I'm going to go get some pizza. Ooh! Do you guys want Hawaiian or Pepperoni?" Mikey asked. Nobody answered him, since they were all lost in their own thoughts. "Okay, now, don't get too excited guys!" he joked. Suddenly, Master Splinter entered the room.

"My sons, it has occurred to me that your new friends may be in danger, especially since they are unskilled and unarmed. If the Foot Ninjas attack them again, they may not be so lucky," he said. Splinter had been thinking about these dangers for a while now, and he knew he needed to find a reasonable solution to the problem. "For this reason, I suggest that they begin training with us in the art of self-defense." The turtles all nodded. They understood the dangers the sensei was speaking of, and they thought it would be a good idea for the girls to learn some skills. Alex had already tried training with Raph, but it was nothing serious. The brothers knew that all of them needed to learn self-defense, just in case. "I will speak with the girls tomorrow about this plan, and we will begin training as soon as possible."

* * *

Hazel sat down at the local coffee shop, anxiously waiting for her friend, Hannah, to arrive. She checked her watch. It was around 8:30 pm, the time she and Hannah had agreed on meeting each other. Hazel was kind of nervous. She and Hannah hadn't really seen each other since Hazel and her sisters had met the turtles, and Hannah had insisted that they should hang out.

"Hey Hazel! Long time no see, huh?" Hannah said, sitting down across from Hazel.

"Hey, Hannah. How have you been?"

"Good, but I've been super bored since I haven't really been up to anything interesting lately. What about you?"

"Yeah, you know, the usual," Hazel was trying to seem nonchalant about the entire thing, not wanting to give away the huge secret that she had promised to keep. "I haven't been doing anything exciting lately." _Flat out lie…_ Hazel thought. _Hope she doesn't pick that one up._

"Wrong answer, Hazel." _Darn_. "Every time I ask you to hang out, you always say you're busy! I know you're not just avoiding me for the sake of it. You and your sisters have been gone somewhere almost every day."

"Wait, how do you know we aren't home?"

"Can't hear your sisters fighting and your lights are never on, unless it's really late. I'm not stupid, Hazel."

"We've just been helping my mom out at the office a lot. There's, uh, a lot of files that need to be organized." _Please buy it, please buy it_.

"Not buying it." _Darn_. _Again._ "Every single day, you're at the office? And Alex hasn't put up a fight yet? And Izzy hasn't made a scene? Please. I know that whatever you're doing, it's fun." Hazel sighed. She knew she couldn't tell Hannah what she was up to. She had promised Master Splinter she wouldn't say a thing! It was for everyone's safety.

"I can't tell you what we're doing, Hannah. I promised I wouldn't say anything." Hazel was so torn between her best friend and her more… um… "secret" friends. She knew, though, that even though it was a tough decision, it was the right one. It sounded like something Master Splinter would say.

"Fine. I get it. Hope that you guys enjoy yourselves with… whatever you're doing. See ya." And with that, she left the coffee shop. Hazel groaned. Why did this have to be such a mess?


	8. Chapter 8: Training

**(A/N): **Sorry for the long wait! I feel horrible for leaving you guys hanging, so here's a longer chapter for you guys. Hope you like it!

**Chapter 8: Training**

The next morning, Hazel awoke to the lovely sounds of her sisters shouting at each other.

"IZZY! WHERE ARE MY SHOES?"

"What shoes?"

"My favorite ones! The flip flops!"

"How should I know?"

"You were the last person to wear them! You better not have ruined them!"

The fight continued on, and as usual, Hazel simply walked away. She texted Donnie, telling him to _please_ hurry up and get over here so they could go to the lair. Master Splinter and the turtles still weren't comfortable with the girls walking to the lair by themselves, even though they knew the way. There was no telling what could be hiding in the shadows, ready to attack. Hazel sighed. Once Donnie texted her back, saying he was waiting for them outside, she walked out the door. She knew her sisters would follow and hopefully forget about their fight.

Unfortunately, Alex and Izzy continued their fight all the way through the sewers. Hazel simply used this time to catch up with Donnie. She told him about what happened with her friend Hannah, and how she had ultimately decided to keep everything a secret, even if her friendship with Hannah was at risk. Donnie was a great listener, and gave her advice, too. They continued walking in silence for a moment or two. Suddenly, Donnie remembered something.

"Hazel… uh… you've heard about… um, Mikey and Izzy, right?" He stuttered. He looked behind him to make sure Alex and Izzy's fight was still going strong so they wouldn't hear the conversation.

"Of course. Izzy told me everything. I assume Mikey told you guys, then?"

"Yup…" Donnie replied, popping the 'p.'

"Uh… well, how do you, um, feel about it? You seem distressed or something."

"Yeah, it's just… different, that's all. Number one, it's Mikey. Who woulda guessed? Number two, we're giant mutant turtles…" he trailed off, pondering all of the reasons why this entire situation made him uncomfortable.

"You guys are a lot more than mutant turtles, you know," Hazel said shyly. "I mean, you're ninjas, which is totally awesome. And you guys are also super nice and you care about each other. You're more human than you give yourselves credit for!" Donnie smiled. He was about to reply when he noticed that they were already at the lair.

Donnie led the girls inside, to where his brothers were sitting on the couch, trying to endure Leo's Space Heroes show. Well, all except for Leo, of course, who was totally excited. As soon as everyone got together, however, things got pretty awkward. Everyone was just staring at each other uncomfortably. Leo was staring at Mikey, who was staring at Izzy, who happened to be staring at Hazel (probably to avoid Mikey's stare), who was looking at Donnie, who was watching Raph, who couldn't take his eyes off of Alex, who was staring at everyone in turn. So it was, as Hazel observed, a big, horrible, awkward mess. That is, until Leo cleared his throat and pushed Mikey toward Izzy. As soon as that happened, everyone ran off to avoid any further strange situations involving Mikey and Izzy.

"So, Izzy," Mikey started. Izzy was a mess of emotions, with anxiety, excitement, and fear all mixed together. She desperately tried to hold herself together. "I like you a lot, and you said that you like me too, so… what now?" Izzy giggled. Mikey always knew how to make her feel better. "No, I'm serious, I don't know what to do! Help me!"

"We can do _this_…" She leaned in closer to Mikey and wrapped her arms around his neck. They both relaxed, in a sense, when their lips met once again. Yet, soon enough, passion and excitement built within them, and Mikey couldn't help but tangle his fingers in Izzy's hair. Izzy responded by letting her hands roam his body, feeling his face, neck, arms, and plastron. They both knew they were getting carried away; since they were in the living room, and anyone (including Master Splinter) could walk in at any minute, they parted.

As they caught their breaths, Mikey said something really intelligent, like "okie dokie." Izzy couldn't help but giggle. Mikey blushed.

"So I hope this means that you'll be my boyfriend now, right? Or what?"

"Uh, yeah, duh! Only if you'll be my girlfriend, though!" He said, crossing his arms. Izzy laughed.

"Don't worry, Mikey, that's how it works! So, now what do you want to do?" she asked.

"Um, victory dance time!" He immediately broke out into full on dance moves, and Izzy joined him. Mikey had some sweet moves, and Izzy added some back handsprings to the mix. They victory danced together, laughing the entire time, until they wore each other out.

"Phew! I'm pooped out," Mikey said, flopping himself onto the couch. "Ooh! I know!"

"Pizza?" Izzy said, knowingly.

"Aw, yeah. You know me too well, girlfriend."

"Remember, I love pizza too, boyfriend!" And together they victory danced to the kitchen.

* * *

Everyone but Mikey and Izzy was camping out in the dojo. They figured giving Mikey and Izzy some time would be a good idea. Everyone was sitting on the floor of the dojo, near the tree, just chatting.

"How do you think things are going over there?" Leo asked. Pretty much everyone shrugged.

"Izzy seemed pretty shy about, uh, seeing Mikey again, but we all know they'll be fine, right?" Hazel reasoned.

"Yeah, I agree," Donnie added. "I don't think we should worry about them. Even if this situation is a bit… strange."

"Why should I worry about them? They can deal," Alex declared.

"You girls don't seem to care too much about this whole situation too much," Raph pointed out.

"What're you trying to say?" Alex questioned.

"I'm saying that it's weird cause I thought girls were all into the romantic stuff."

"Haven't you noticed by now that I'm not an _average_ girl, Raph?" Alex challenged, leaning in a little.

"Well, uh, yeah…" Raph stuttered. He could feel a blush starting to creep up on his face. "I w-was just saying… uh, that, it's… d-different."

"Oh, really!" Alex said, clenching her fists. Hazel thought this would be the optimal time to interfere.

"I don't mean to take sides here, but Alex?" She said, turning to her sister.

"What?"

"You were pretty excited about the whole Izzy-Mikey thing last night. Just saying." Leo and Donnie laughed, while Raph smirked.

"I was not!"

"Oh, yeah, you were. You would not stop asking questions! It was the most _interesting_ thing I'd ever witnessed!" Hazel continued.

"Shut up!"

"You were like 'what was it like?' 'how long did it last?' 'did you guys use ton-" Hazel was cut off suddenly as Alex lunged at her and tackled her to the ground. Having less strength than Izzy when it came to physical fights, she immediately shouted "Mercy! Mercy, Alex! Oh my god!"

"Not until you swear not to make fun of me like that again!" She demanded, continuing to hold Hazel down. "Say it!"

"Okay! I won't make fun of you anymore, Alex. Please release me!" Finally, Alex released her grip.

"You got lucky, that time, Hazel." She stood up and fixed her ponytail, sitting back down on the floor next to Raph. He was practically beaming with admiration for Alex. He was also trying to hide his blush, considering the fact that the entire situation just made her seem _that_ much more attractive.

Donnie, who was still laughing with Leo, went over to where Hazel was lying on the ground.

"You okay?" He helped her up.

"I'm totally fine. It happens all the time. Struggling against Alex, however, took a lot of energy out of me. Phew, I am out of shape!" Everyone laughed. At that moment, Mikey and Izzy walked in, holding a few boxes of pizza.

"Who's ready to partayyy?" Izzy said, passing out the boxes of pizza. Everyone sat together, eating pizza and having a good time. Once they were done, Master Splinter entered the dojo.

"I wish to speak with Hazel, Alex, and Izzy please," He announced. The turtles already knew what this would be about. Hazel glanced at Donnie, giving him a look that said_: Am I in trouble?_ He just shook his head and gave Hazel a thumbs-up."So, my sons, please give us the space in the dojo to talk." Mikey winked at Izzy before following his brothers out the door.

Master Splinter sat down, and gestured for the girls to do so as well.

"I know you three understand the dangers that are associated with knowing my sons and me personally. But it has occurred to me that the Foot Clan, or others, could attack you at any moment, and for this reason, we need to be prepared." The sensei looked at each of the girls individually. Alex seemed excited, Izzy seemed a bit apprehensive but interested, and Hazel seemed to be calculating the benefits of this 'preparation.' "Izzy, I have observed great flexibility and nimbleness in your everyday actions. These are wonderful qualities to have, and can really help you. But, I have noticed something inside of you, something that rarely shows, and it is an inner passion and power that you must learn to use when necessary." Izzy nodded. Splinter turned to Alex. "Alex, you show great natural strength and courage. You may not admit it, but you are very protective of your family and what you believe in. You must be aware of your temper, however. If not controlled properly, it will only harm you in the end. I find it so interesting that my son Raphael has the same weakness." He chuckled. "And finally, Hazel. You, my child, were difficult to understand at first. But now I see. You look at the world very differently than your sisters, and many other people, as well. Your sense of logic is so strong, but the price you pay is that you block out emotions. You must learn balance in life. Not everything is black and white, and not everything can be perfectly analyzed. Yet, I know that your mind is your strongest muscle. It will aid you in times of need." The girls simply sat there, taking in the words Master Splinter had spoken. He was able to understand each of them so well, it was almost scary.

"And now, we must begin training. I will train you in the ways of ninjutsu. Come." He walked over to the other side of the dojo, where the turtles kept their weapons. "First, we must select your main weapons. Choose wisely, because this will be your primary training tool."

Alex immediately reached for the sais. She had already practiced using them with Raph, and she really liked them. She thought it would be the best option for her.

Izzy hesitated for a minute, before reaching for the nunchucks. She had seen Mikey use them, and thought he could teach her more about them. She also thought that they'd be easy to carry and move around with.

Hazel took the longest to decide. She carefully analyzed the pros and cons of each weapon. Considering that she didn't really like blood, Hazel decided that sharp weapons would be less favorable. She also disliked being up close to the action. She wanted to be able to attack from more of a distance. That pretty much left the bo staff as her only option. She sighed. _Our weapon choices were so predictable._

Master Splinter began basic training, without weapons at first, for about an hour. The girls were soon hungry, so they headed to the kitchen to grab some of that ever-present pizza. The turtles were excited to hear about the training session, and wanted to know what weapons they had chosen to train with.

"I picked the nunchucks." Izzy stated, smiling. "I think they're really cool."

"Not as cool as you!" Mikey quickly said, blushing. Izzy giggled and blushed too.

"You call that flirting? What has the world come to?" Raph said, throwing his hands up. Of course, Mikey and Izzy couldn't hear Raph's comments, since they were seconds away from an little make-out session. Donnie was the first to react.

"Hazel! What weapon did you choose?" He said, trying desperately to divert all attention away from Mikey and Izzy. The couple seemed to get the idea, and took a little step away from each other, still blushing furiously.

"Uh, I chose the bo staff, actually." Hazel admitted. "I thought it was a good choice, since I'm not super fond of blades and I prefer to-"

"Fight from a distance," Donnie finished for her. "It's the same reason I chose the bo too." He smiled at her, showing his gapped tooth. Hazel couldn't help but return the smile, but quickly looked down at her pizza soon after.

"What about you, Alex? What'd you pick?" Raph asked, trying to act casual.

"Sais," she replied, shortly. "Thought you knew that, Raph." She examined her fingernails, smirking.

"O-obviously, I knew that… because it's the best weapon out there!" Raph thought he was going to explode from all of these… _emotions_ he had. _This is torture!_ He thought, sneaking another glance at Alex. He sighed. _What am I going to do? And why in the world am I talking to myself?_


	9. Chapter 9: And That Makes Two

(A/N): Sorry for the long wait! I am filled with guilt. Anyway, for those of you who are still reading this, thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles and such.

**Chapter 9: And That Makes Two**

After their break, the girls returned to their training with Master Splinter. Yet, this time, they were sharing the training session with the turtles. Master Splinter had told the girls to watch the brothers spar with each other and take note of how they use their weapons, offensively and defensively. Instead of simply observing the matches, like her sisters were, Hazel _literally_ took notes in a notebook, carefully analyzing Donnie's grips and techniques on the bo staff as he sparred with Leo. She wrote frantically, trying to take note of everything that was happening, while trying not to be, well, distracted, by _other_ things. Like Donnie. Or his cute attempts at trash talking Leo. Or his gapped-tooth smile when he looked at her-_Wait a second. He's looking at me! Look away, Hazel! Look away!_ Hazel desperately tried to cover her blush, hiding her face in her notebook. _Phew, that was a close one!_

Eventually, Leo won the match and Donnie sat down next to Hazel.

"Good match, Donnie. Check out my notes," she said, handing her notebook to him. He looked over her notes, and helped her edit a few places where she needed work. After a while, he stood up and stretched.

"Wanna go to my lab? I actually need some help making a few more defense improvements to the Shellraiser."

"Sure. I'd love to…" she replied. She stood up and the two of them made their way to the lab.

Once they got there, she and Donnie got to work, pulling different parts together to make weapons, ammo, and other defense mechanisms.

"Shoot. I need more of these pipes. I need to go out and grab more." Donnie said, sighing.

"Wait, where _do_ you get this stuff?" Hazel asked, genuinely curious.

"I find it around the sewers. Occasionally I'll pick stuff up while we're on patrol."

"Oh, okay."

"Anyway, I'm going to check out a few tunnels that might have the pipes I'm looking for. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure, why not?" Hazel said, even though she could think of about 1,000 reasons why she would _not_ want to go. Most of them having to do with being alone with Donnie _outside_ of the lab. _What am I supposed to do with myself? I can't just make casual conversation! This is why I prefer the lab, where talking is _not _necessary!_

The pair headed out of the lair and into the confusing maze of sewers. Thankfully, Donnie knew his way around, so getting lost wasn't an issue. As Hazel and Donnie wound through the tunnels of the sewers, they didn't say much to each other. Hazel thought she was going to lose it right then and there. Suddenly, a screech echoed off the walls. Donnie quickly pinned Hazel against the wall, covering her body with his. At the same time, Hazel had grabbed onto Donnie and was now clutching him, trying not to panic, telling herself that whatever had made that sound was _not_ a monster. After a minute of dead silence, Hazel figured that there wasn't anything there. She released her hold on Donnie, but he didn't seem to notice. He continued to hold Hazel against the wall, with one arm behind her back and the other on his bo staff. He appeared to be trying to look further into the sewers, but he didn't seem to be seeing anything. Hazel quietly cleared her throat and tapped Donnie's shoulder.

"C-can you, um…" she whispered, gesturing to their position. Donnie's eyes widened a bit, and he quietly apologized and let go of Hazel.

"S-sorry. I-uh, think there's something there. Stay here while I go check it out."

"Oh hell no," Hazel said. "I'm staying as close to you as possible. You're the one with the staff." Donnie seemed to be weighing his options. Finally he replied.

"Fine. But you have to stay close to me at all times. In fact-" he grabbed her wrist. Hazel nearly passed out. "Do not let go unless I tell you to. In that case, run for your life. Okay?"

Hazel couldn't find her voice, so she just nodded and gave Donnie a thumbs-up.

They slowly crept in the direction of the screech. Hazel was a bundle of anxiety. She was potentially going to be eaten by a monster _and _she was holding hands with Donnie! Sort of! Suddenly, they heard the screeching sound again, only this time, it didn't echo. In fact, it sounded a lot like a meow. As they stepped forward, Hazel saw that the source of the sounds were just coming from a cat.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Hazel said, running up to the cat. She noticed that the cat didn't have a collar, and it looked like it needed some food. "Donnie, can we keep it? Please?"

"I don't know how Master Splinter would feel, considering he's a rat and all, but I'm sure we could train it."

"Thanks, Donnie, you're the best. I'm serious!" Hazel said, picking up her new cat. She held it up. "Girl or boy?" she asked Donnie.

"Boy. Wanna know how I know?" he asked excitedly.

"No." Hazel replied. Donnie made a face. Hazel made a face back. "His name will be… Botticelli!"

"Botticelli?"

"The renaissance artist? Figured since you turtles are named after renaissance artists, we should name this little guy after one, too. So he can fit in! We'll call him Botti for short."

"Makes sense."

"Logic is my specialty."

"We still need to get those pipes."

"I know, Donnie. But did you really have to ruin the moment?" Hazel asked, smiling. Donnie smiled back and simply shrugged in response, and the group of three returned to the tedious exploration of the sewers.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the lair, Raph and Mikey had just finished their sparring match. Raph had won, and Mikey was feeling a little hurt, even though it's happened many times before.

"Aw, Mikey, you did a great job!" Izzy said, encouragingly.

"Yeah I know, but I'm still pretty bummed."

"I know what will make you feel better," she said, smiling.

"Gross. You two better not be doing what I think you're gonna be doing!" Raph shouted. He gave the couple a look.

"Whoa, dude, no! That's not what we were gonna do!" Mikey defended.

"Really? Then what were you guys going to do, then? Huh?" he questioned.

"We were going to get water balloons and throw them at Leo." Izzy replied, quietly. "It always makes Mikey feel better."

"Dr. Prankenstein is in the house!" Mikey added, doing a little dance.

"Oh, well, carry on." Raph said.

"Leo's going to hate you!" Alex added, just before Izzy and Mikey left the dojo.

That was when Raph realized they were the only ones left in the dojo. Alex was simply lying on the floor, playing around with her sais.

"So, do you wanna spar?" Raph suggested. "I'm pretty tough to beat, so I'll go easy on you." Alex stood up and glared at Raph.

"I don't need you to go easy on me."

"You've barely begun training. There's no way you'll last against me."

"You did not just go there, Raphael."

"Don't use my full name!" Raph said. Alex took this opportunity to strike at Raph.

"I'll call you whatever I want!" She said, between blows.

"Oh, it's on!" Raph said, getting angry. He forced himself to fight even harder.

Alex and Raph sparred, releasing their anger. They dodged each other's attacks, but Alex soon began to get tired, and her movements slowed down. Raph was then able to knock her to the ground and pin her arms and legs down so she couldn't get back up.

"Raph, let me go!" Alex demanded. Instead of releasing his hold, he strengthened it. He kneeled on her legs and put almost all of his weight on her arms, making their eyes level. "I hate you so much, Raphael." Instead of saying something back, he just stared at her, trying not to completely lose it.

"And why do you hate me?" He asked, smirking. There was a moment of silence before the unexpected happened.

"Because you make me want to do this:" Alex said, as she yanked Raph's face down to meet hers, pressing her lips against his. Raph nearly had a heart attack. His head was spinning so much, he thought he was going to die. He then realized that it would be a good idea to kiss her back. As he did, he slightly released his hold on Alex, allowing her to take the upper hand and push Raph up against the tree. She kept her hands against his plastron, and Raph put his hands on her waist. He felt like he was in heaven. When Alex finally drew back, she left Raph completely breathless. He tried to turn his head to prevent Alex from seeing his deep blush, but she was still pushing him up against the tree. He finally gathered the courage to look her in the eyes.

"So… uh, I didn't know that you… you know, um… liked me," Raph said, hesitantly.

"I didn't know you had such a bad stuttering problem," Alex said, smirking.

"Only around you." Now it was Alex's turn to blush. And she hated it. A lot. "Can you, uh, let me go?" Alex realized she was still pushing Raph against the tree. She let go of him, feeling embarrassed. Before she knew it, _her_ back was against the tree, thanks to Raph. She was about to snap at him, but she was cut off by Raph's lips on hers. This time, their kiss was slower, and Alex could sense that Raph was desperately trying not to completely lose it. Naturally, Alex had to push the limits, especially Raph's. She grabbed the back of Raph's neck as she swiped her tongue across his bottom lip. Raph couldn't help it any longer; a sound escaped from the back of his throat that resembled a groan. Alex pulled away and smirked, knowing she'd won.

"You still haven't answered my question," Raph said after a few moments.

"And what was that, Raphael?" Raph was about to get mad about the whole name thing, but deep down, he liked it when Alex called him by his full name. He wouldn't tell her that, but he had a feeling she already knew. He took a deep breath to say something, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. _Damn it, Alex_. "You like it when I call you Raphael, huh?" _Of course she knows._ Raph didn't answer her, but his blush gave everything away. He decided to divert the subject away from his name.

"So, do you like me?" Raph asked quickly.

"I guess."

"'I guess?' That's it? Then why'd you kiss me?"

"I don't know."

"What? What do you mean you don't know?"

"Raph, you idiot, I'm just playing! Of course I like you." Raph was beaming. He felt like he was on top of the world.

"Well, I like you too!" He finally said, with confidence.

"Well, news flash! Everyone, including me, knew that."

"Oh."

"Yup."

"That's embarrassing."

"Yup. You were _pretty_ obvious."

"Okay."

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"Okay." For the third time that day, their lips met. Raph had a lot more confidence this time around, and pulled Alex's body close to his. Raph decided to try Alex's little trick from last time, swiping his tongue across her bottom lip. Not expecting Raph to be so bold yet, she gasped and tilted her head back further, giving the kiss a new angle. Just as things were about to get heated, Raph heard footsteps coming toward the dojo. He quickly pushed Alex away, just as she began to hear the footsteps as well.

"Fix your ponytail!" Raph warned.

"Crap! It's gonna give everything away!" she replied, hastily re-doing her signature hairstyle. Raph grabbed his sais and tossed Alex's to her, so that they could pretend to have been sparring. "Not a word about this. Not yet." she whispered.

"Deal. I want this to be just between us, for now, you know, since-"

"Shut up and fight me!" She whispered aggressively, throwing a punch, just as Leo walked in.

"Hey guys. Uh, dinner's ready. Pizza, as usual, thanks to Mikey and Izzy. It's their 8-hour-anniversary, so naturally, they had to celebrate." Leo said, his words dripping with sarcasm. But Alex and Raph were not paying attention. All they were thinking was, _Phew, he didn't notice!_

"Ok, Alex. Let's go."

"Alright. Beating you up, although enjoyable, is very tiring." Raph gave her a look, but Alex just smirked. Leo tried to hold back his laughter.

The three walked to the kitchen and sat down with everyone else. The conversation seemed to be on the topic of Hazel's new cat. Alex and Raph sat down as silently as they could, each grabbing two slices of pizza.

"What's his name?" Leo asked.

"Botticelli. Botti for short. Isn't he adorable?" Hazel said, hugging her cat.

"He is the most adorable-est thing ever! Aren't you?" Mikey said, petting Botti. Botti simply looked at Mikey, seeming to be annoyed. Hazel laughed.

"You're probably scaring him, Mikey."

"Oh, hehe. Sorry." Conversations soon drifted into smaller groups instead of one large one. Alex didn't participate in any of them; she just listened. Raph did his best to pretend to be in a bad mood so people would leave him alone. Alex wished she could use that strategy, but she knew that her sisters wouldn't buy it. They know her way too well. Alex begun to notice that Izzy kept looking at her with a weird expression on her face. _Crap! Does she know?_ Finally, Izzy spoke up.

"Alex, look me in the eyes," she said, rather loudly. Literally everyone at the table looked at the two sisters.

"No."

"Do it!"

"No! Don't be weird!"

"Do it, or I'll just assume you did something _naughty_." Alex didn't have a choice. She looked into Izzy's eyes.

"There. You happy?" Izzy squealed.

"Shut. Up. No way!"

"What's going on?" Leo asked.

"Nothing!" Alex said, quickly.

"I am so proud of you, Alex!" Izzy continued.

"Stop it, Izzy! Seriously!" Alex pleaded.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, someone tell me what's going on!" Hazel interrupted. The entire table was silent, since no one had really expected Hazel to speak up so forcefully.

"I think Alex should be the one to inform you all of the news." Izzy announced.

"Nope."

"Maybe I should ask Raph, then."

"NO!" Alex and Raph said at the same time.

"Okay, someone will need to explain it. I really don't care who the hell does it!" Hazel said, beginning to get annoyed.

"Fine, I'll tell you, then, since neither of them want to say anything." Izzy said. "These two lovebirds spent the past hour kissing. A lot! Isn't it great?" There was silence. Both Alex and Raph wanted the earth to swallow them whole so they wouldn't have to endure the embarrassment any longer. Finally, the entire table filled with chatter.

"It's about time!"

"Wow, I did not see that coming!"

"Little Raphie's growing up!"

"Wait, hold up!" Hazel said, stopping the conversation once more. "How did you know, Izzy? You weren't there, right? That would be weirder than weird."

"Alex's eyes. They gave it all away. Plus, she was acting weird when she walked in here. Also, she hasn't denied anything yet!" She squealed again.

"Alex, Raph, is she serious?" Donnie asked. They looked at each other for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah! Partayyyy! We got another couple in da house!" Mikey said, performing his victory dance.

"Whoa, we aren't official, or anything, geez." Alex corrected. Raph nodded.

"It's still beautiful!" Izzy said, pulling Raph and Alex into a hug. The unofficial couple sighed simultaneously. _This is going to be a very long meal_.

* * *

(A/N): What did you think? Please let me know, since it's my first story and I'd love to know how I'm doing. Thanks, you are all wonderful people!


	10. Chapter 10: Strange Behaviors

(A/N): Sorry for the long wait! I feel like I'm always saying things like this. Well, blame schoolwork, I guess. I'll do my best to keep this story going though. To all who review, thank you so much! You guys motivate me to keep on writing! And I'm glad you think my story's funny. It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Turtles ain't mine. Sorry.

**Chapter 10: Strange Behaviors**

The next few weeks progressed uneventfully. The girls came by the lair every day to work on their training with Master Splinter. Alex, obviously, was the fastest learner out of the three girls. Izzy was also doing pretty well, since she loved twirling the nunchucks while doing gymnastics moves. Hazel… well, sucked. She wasn't aggressive, took too long for analysis, and was generally out of shape.

"I can't do this. I give up. I suck." she said, flopping onto the floor. "I'm just going to lie here, ok?"

"C'mon, Hazel, you don't suck!" Donnie said, trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah she does!" Alex shouted from across the room.

"Not helping, Alex!" Izzy replied. Hazel just continued to lie there.

"You just need to practice more." Leo observed. "You don't have very good stamina, so that's the first thing you could work on."

"I'll help you with your training. We can do basic workouts together to get in shape." Donnie offered.

"Yeah, well, as amazing as it sounds to torture yourself through exercise, I'm going to have to decline." Hazel responded.

"Please?" Donnie asked. Hazel was silent for a moment. Finally she nodded. "Great! See you in here tomorrow at 8!" Hazel just groaned.

* * *

The next day, she and Donnie got to work on exercises.

"So, Hazel, I'm sure you're familiar with sit-ups and pushups?"

"Sure, I'm _familiar_ with them, but that doesn't mean I'm experienced."

"Well, tell me what you can do."

"Uh, well, when I wake up in the morning, I have to sit up in order to get out of bed." Donnie stared at her blankly.

"That doesn't count. When's the last time you've done a real sit-up?"

"Probably in middle school when we were forced to take P.E." Donnie sighed.

"Please tell me you have better experience with pushups…"

"Well, I can do a pushup, but I have to take a 5 minute breather in between each one."

"This is going to be harder than I thought."

"Great! So when do I get to quit?"

"No, we're going to start by doing sit-ups. 20. Go." Hazel groaned, but eventually started doing sit-ups, complete with sarcastic complaints the entire time. When she was done, she flopped herself onto the floor.

"I think that's the most exercise I've done in 2 years. Can we take a break?"

"Fine. But this is not over."

"Ugh, Donnie, you're killing me. Let's just try again tomorrow." He gave her a look, then finally nodded.

The two walked out of the dojo and into the kitchen. There, they joined the others for a late breakfast. Hazel began eating everything in sight. She sighed, knowing that training was going to be difficult that afternoon, but hopefully in time, she would improve. _Plus, I get to spend some 1-on-1 time with Donnie!_

* * *

After about a week, Hazel seemed to be showing more improvement. Her daily exercises with Donnie were definitely paying off in training with her sisters. Even though she wasn't even close to matching their skill, she was still proud of herself.

"Great job today, Hazel, let's call it a day." Donnie said, after miraculously releasing Hazel from her training earlier than usual. "Let's grab lunch with the others." The group headed to the kitchen, since Mikey and Izzy had gotten takeout from Chef Murakami's. Hazel sat down in her usual spot, and Donnie sat next to her. Only today, he was sitting closer to her. Like, a lot closer. Instead of totally flipping out, Hazel decided that the best thing to do at this point is to shrug it off.

She quietly glanced around the table, choosing not to participate in any conversation. She began to notice subtle… well, changes in everyone's behavior. For starters, Mikey kept his arm around Izzy for the entire meal. Even though they were dating, Hazel found this kind of weird. Usually, Mikey keeps both his arms focused on the task at hand: eating his food. He and Izzy used to playfully nudge each other occasionally, but that was it. To top it all off, Mikey would kiss Izzy every so often. Nothing graphic, just a peck. _But still_. Izzy didn't seem to mind, of course, but Hazel thought it was slightly out of character. No one else seemed to notice at all. _That's strange, wouldn't others notice that? Especially Raph?_

Speaking of Raph, he too was acting differently. Usually, he and Alex would act as if they didn't even like each other. They would bicker all the time, usually for fun. Now, however, Raph kept his hand on Alex's thigh for the entire meal, rubbing circles with his thumb. It was pretty obvious, too. He wasn't even trying to hide it. And every time Alex tried to pick a fight, Raph would shrug it off and let her have her way. And was it just Hazel's imagination, or did Donnie keep glancing at her when he thought she wasn't looking? To top it all off, Leo was nowhere in sight. _That's funny, Leo rarely ever misses meals with his brothers. He's not even watching Space Heroes._

When Hazel was done eating, she was pretty eager to get out of the room. Things were getting to be a bit too weird for her. She went into the lab to work on a few projects. Unfortunately, she was distracted by all the wacky stuff that was going on. Donnie had set up a mini couch in the lab, so Hazel flopped herself onto it and began to think. _What could possibly be going on? Maybe I should ask my sisters if they're noticing things too._ Hazel decided she would talk to her sisters that night, once they got home. Soon, she heard Donnie enter the lab.

"Hey Hazel! Didn't know you were in here."

"Hey," she replied, quietly.

"What were you just doing?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about some stuff. Nothing big."

"Oh, ok." Donnie, too, seemed to be lost in thought. They both sat in silence for a while, until Donnie finally said something.

"Hazel?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Hazel was taken a bit off-guard.

"No, I haven't," Hazel said, laughing a bit. Donnie seemed surprised.

"Why?"

"Didn't we have a conversation like this before? It's cause nobody's ever liked me like that, ya know?"

"Oh, why's that?"

"Donnie, why so many questions?" He turned red a bit.

"Just… uh, curious, that's all."

"Well, I really don't know. I don't try very hard, to be honest, and I don't talk to many people, so I guess that's why." Hazel started biting her nails. This whole conversation was making her nervous.

"Well… uh, I think you're beautiful, Hazel."

Hazel froze. She glanced at Donnie, who was looking at her expectantly. She tried to come up with something to say to him, but couldn't even open her mouth to speak. Finally, she was able to clear her throat and attempt a response.

"…I have to go." She got up and ran out of the lab, grabbing her sisters and telling them that they needed to go home. Now.

* * *

Once they were home, Hazel took her sisters into her room. Hazel and Izzy sat on the bed, and Alex took the desk chair.

"Why are you so freaked out? What the hell is going on?" Alex asked, seeming agitated.

"H-have you guys been noticing anything… well, _different_ about the turtles recently?" She looked at Alex and Izzy, who seemed to be thinking about the turtles' recent behavior. Finally, Izzy spoke up.

"Mikey's been kissing me more, I guess. Like, a lot more. I don't mind it, though, but I guess it does seem a bit different, you know?" Hazel nodded.

"Oh, yeah, and Raph's been acting differently relationship-wise, I guess. Like, whenever we're alone, he can't seem to get his hands off me! Totally hot," Alex added. Hazel filled them in about the other strange behavior she'd been noticing. She left out the part about Donnie. She wasn't quite ready to make that public knowledge. The three sisters chatted for a while and shared a few laughs. Eventually, they left to their own rooms. Hazel let out a sigh. Thankfully, Izzy hadn't figured anything out. Hazel had been avoiding looking her in the eyes all night. She decided to go to bed a little earlier than normal. It had been a weird day, after all.

Yet, Hazel couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning, thinking about the turtles' strange behavior and what it could mean. Eventually, she gave up on trying to sleep and picked up a book from her nightstand. It was her biology book. She began reading until she came across a chapter on turtles. She laughed quietly, thinking that it would be an interesting read considering she knows a few turtles pretty well. She started comparing the ninja turtles to the ones in the book. Eventually she came across a section on behavior. That definitely caught her attention. She scanned the pages, desperately searching for an answer to her questions. Finally, she found it.

**Mating Season:** _For most turtles, the mating season takes place sometime during the spring or summer and vary in duration of time. For specific turtle species, see pg. 568-569._

Finally.

It all makes sense! Their strange behavior was beginning to add up! The turtles were more affectionate than normal, so it must be their mating season. Obviously, some things may have been changed when they went through mutation, but Hazel was sure that the general idea was the same. She almost ran out of her room to tell Alex and Izzy what she discovered, but soon realized that it was _way_ too late to be making a racket. Plus, her mom and dad would probably be concerned with Hazel's random outburst and ask a bunch of questions. It would be best to wait till the morning.


	11. Chapter 11: Different

(A/N): Sorry again for the long wait. School is rather time consuming, don't you think? Anyway, I'll do my best to get more chapters up. Thanks for sticking with this story for so long!

Disclaimer: Turtles ain't mine.

**Chapter 11: Different**

Izzy twirled her nunchucks skillfully. She flipped backwards, avoiding Mikey's aim at her legs, and landed with grace. Using nimbleness to her advantage, she was able to whack Mikey in the back of his knee with her nunchucks, causing him to fall backwards. Izzy did a victory dance as Mikey picked himself back up again.

She and Mikey had decided to start out their day with a friendly match in the dojo. Now, they were sitting by the tree, taking a break.

"You are so amazing, you know that, Izzy?" Mikey said, dreamily. Izzy blushed.

"I-I don't know a-mmph!" She was cut off as Mikey pressed his lips to hers. He pulled her closer to his body, until she was pretty much in his lap. Izzy couldn't deny it; she was surprised. Mikey had been acting differently lately, but this was really new. He used to be shy when it came to kissing, and now he couldn't seem to get enough of it. Izzy's thoughts drifted back to what Hazel had told her this morning; the stuff regarding the turtles' mating season. She pulled away from Mikey, only to see a disappointed look flash across his face.

"Mikey, have you been… feeling any different lately?" Izzy asked, cautiously.

"I guess I've been feeling extra happy when you're around. And I want to kiss you, like, all the time!" Mikey reached toward Izzy's face again, recapturing her lips. Izzy sighed, and Mikey smiled. _Who knows what's really going on here?_

* * *

Alex added the finishing touches to her drawing. It was a picture of her and Raph sparring in the dojo. She had to admit, this drawing was one of her best ones. She figured it would be a nice surprise for Raph when he finished training. Speaking of finishing training, Raph chose that moment to bust through his bedroom door and fling himself onto his bed. Alex sighed; she was used to Raph's sudden outbursts. She scooted his desk chair closer to his bed.

"What's up, Raph?"

"Stupid Leo," Raph turned his head and looked at Alex. "I mean, he always has to walk around and be all leader-y all the time and it's getting on my nerves!"

Raph was glad Alex didn't freak out or scold him for exaggerating. She just sat there and listened to him until he was done ranting. When he had calmed down a considerable amount, Alex handed him the drawing she'd just completed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Raph stared at the picture.

"You like it?" she asked him. He didn't answer her. He just looked at the sketch, then Alex, then back at the sketch again. "Ok, maybe it's not my best work, but I tried, at least." She looked at him expectantly.

Before she knew it, her back was against the wall, and Raph was kissing her hungrily. Alex couldn't suppress the moan that escaped her lips, which only encouraged Raph more. One of his hands was pushed against the wall, and he couldn't help but drag his other hand down her side to rest on her hip. Suddenly, he pulled away.

"S-sorry… I-I don't know what c-came over me…" Raph stuttered. He looked away. Suddenly, Alex flipped their positions so that Raph's shell was pinned against the wall. She smashed her lips against his, resuming their heated kiss.

"Totally hot, Raphael" she whispered against his lips. She knew how much he loved it when she said his full name, even though he'd never admit it. He groaned as she deepened the kiss. _Damn, I love mating season._

* * *

Hazel had been strategically avoiding Donnie all morning. She'd developed a rather unpleasant headache from all the thinking and stressing about the _current situation_. Unfortunately, she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid their daily training session, and the last thing Hazel wanted to do was spend the morning alone with Donnie. No offense to him, necessarily. Offense goes to the stupid mating season. "Damn mating season, complicating my life. Ugh." Hazel said to herself.

"Ready for training?" Hazel nearly had a heart attack.

"Damn you and your ninja skills, Donnie. I'm going to end up in the hospital one day because of you." Donnie smiled. Hazel then remembered that she had been avoiding Donnie all day.

"Why didn't you help out in the lab today? I-I mean, not that you h-have to, or anything, it's just that y-you usually do."

"Oh, uh, I don't know, I'm not feeling so great today I guess."

"Really? Sorry, we don't have to train today then."

"Hell yeah! No training! But seriously. My head really hurts. Where's Botti?" Just then, her beloved cat crawled out from under the couch and curled up on Hazel's lap. As she was playing with Botti, she increasingly became aware of Donnie's eyes on her. She began to get rather uncomfortable, so she shifted awkwardly and asked the question that had been haunting her mind for some time now.

"Donnie, have you been feeling… strange lately? Like different from normal…?" she asked cautiously. He seemed to ponder the question for a bit.

"I guess so. Like, there's this weird feeling in my stomach sometimes, and I also do or say things that I don't intend to do. Like, I won't think about the action until it's been done. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. Uh, thanks. Just wondering… cause… Izzy was worried about you guys. She kinda notices these things, I guess." Hazel lied. Well, not the part about Izzy noticing things. That was obviously true. She lied about the fact that Izzy was worried. She didn't want Donnie to get the wrong idea. "Have you seen Leo? He hasn't been around like, all week."

"Yeah, for some reason he's been spending a lot of time in his room. Wow, Izzy really knows her stuff; she was able to pick up these strange behavioral changes!" Donnie observed. _That was actually me, not Izzy! But I'm not going to share that with him. For obvious reasons._

"I'm gonna go check on him, then."

"Ok. I'll be in the lab, as usual."

Hazel wandered over towards Leo's room, and hesitantly knocked on the door. She was mainly doing this in order to get away from Donnie, but she was also worried about Leo's condition. Did this strange isolation have to do with the mating season? It didn't seem to make much sense. Leo suddenly opened the door.

"Uh, Hazel? Is something wrong?"

"Hey, Leo. Can I come in?" He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and opened the door wider. Hazel sat down in a chair, and Leo flopped onto his bed, where it seemed like he'd been spending a lot of time recently.

"Is everything ok? You guys don't usually come in and talk to me." He said that last part with a slightly bitter tone.

"Sorry Leo, I guess I haven't been a good friend lately. But something seems to be wrong. Can you tell me what's up?"

"No."

"How am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't need help."

"Then come out and eat and chill with the rest of us."

"No."

"Okay. I'm going to share something with you now, that might help you open up a bit." Hazel started. Leo seemed a bit more interested now. "I did a bit of research when I noticed that you and your brothers have been acting differently. I came across some information about turtle behavior, and it seems like what's happening right now is turtle mating season." She paused and looked at Leo expectantly. He was silent, but Hazel could tell he was intrigued and was processing the information. "Obviously, the _urges_, for lack of a better word, have been suppressed a great deal by the mutation and the human aspects you and your brothers hold. Yet, you are still slightly affected by it, which explains your strange behavior. Now," she concluded, "would you care to explain why you've been hibernating in here? I never see you anymore." Leo was silent for a minute, staring at his ceiling. Finally he took a deep breath and seemed ready to talk.

"Well, you know, cause I'm the odd one out."

"Huh?"

"Izzy and Mikey are dating. Alex and Raph are dating, or whatever they call their thing. Either way we know they're together. And it's obvious you and Donnie are gonna get together at some poi-"

"WHOA dude hold up. Me and Donnie are not going to get together!"

"Uh, yeah, everyone knows that. Even me. We talk about it when you guys aren't around."

"What the hell? What's everyone's problem? No! NO!"

"Can I finish?"

"Yes, Leo, sorry."

"It's fine. Anyway, I figured that I'm just gonna be all alone, while my brothers all have awesome girls in their lives. You know? I doubt I'm gonna find someone. And lately I've just been feeling worse, probably due to this _mating season _you've mentioned." He sighed.

"Leo, you're not going to be alone! I'm sure there are plenty of girls out there that would love to date you! You just have to be patient. I thought patience was your thing." she teased. He chuckled, and seemed to be feeling better. "I hope you hang out with us again sometime, Leo." She stood up and left his room, closing the door softly. Now, she just had to face her own issues with Donnie. _Yay me._


	12. Chapter 12: Disagreements

(A/N): Sorry for such a short chapter this time! I'll do my best to update again soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own any turtles. None.

**Chapter 12: Disagreements**

Things just didn't seem to be going Donnie's way lately. While Raph and Mikey were having a great time with their girlfriends, he was just saying more stupid stuff than usual. And for _some reason_, it only happens around Hazel. _This is getting to be too much. Maybe I should go have a chat with Master Splinter._

Donnie made his way over to Splinter's room. He quietly knocked on the door.

"Come in." Donnie stepped into the room, and found the sensei making some tea for the two of them. "Ah, Donatello. I had a feeling you would come visit me soon." Donnie was a bit unnerved by his statement.

"How did you know?"

"I simply observe. Come, let's have some tea." Donnie sat across from Master Splinter. He gulped. "Donatello, what has been on your mind?"

"…Well, I've been feeling and acting weird lately, and it only seems to happen around Hazel. And when she's not there, I seem to be thinking about her all the time," Donnie said. Splinter smiled.

"It seems like you have a crush. Do you know what that is?" Donnie felt his face redden.

"O-of course I know what that is! B-but, I don't think that's true. I would have k-known, probably. Right?" he sputtered.

"Do you look forward to spending time with Hazel?" Splinter questioned. Donnie nodded. "And you think about her when she's not around." He nodded again. "And do you prefer to spend time with Hazel alone, or with other friends?"

"Well now that I think about it, I like spending time alone with her. It's comforting. And I just always want to let her know how amazing she is. She doesn't seem to think that, and I really want her to know…"

Splinter chuckled. "That, Donatello, is the definition of a crush." Donnie had to prevent himself from freaking out right then and there. His _dad_ just told him he had a crush. How embarrassing. He excused himself from Splinter's room, and headed toward his lab. Being in the lab always helped him think straight.

_I guess I really do like Hazel. Now what? I don't know what to do! I don't know if I'll be able to face-_

Donnie's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door to his lab. He knew instantly it was Hazel. He got up and made his way toward the door. He opened it, revealing a rather nervous-looking Hazel.

"Donnie, d-do you need help in the lab?" she said, playing with her necklace. She seemed to be avoiding looking him in the eye.

"Always. Come on in." The two immediately got started on their work, not needing to speak a word to each other. Usually, Donnie could work in the silence, but ever since his personal _discovery_, the silence was suffocating him. He cleared his throat.

"So, how'd the talk with Leo go?" he ventured, hoping to shatter the silence and start a casual conversation, one that was directed away from the topic of the two of them. Hazel released a breath of air she'd apparently been holding.

"It was good," she sighed. "I guess Leo's been acting weird cause of the whole mating season thing, but it's all good. It's fine. Everything's fine." She seemed to be reassuring herself more than anything. _Wait what?_

"Mating… season?" Donnie asked. Hazel froze.

"U-umm, I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you. You and your brothers are in the middle of your mating season. I've already explained this to Leo, by the way. It's why you guys have been acting different." she explained. It all made sense now. The reason he'd been experiencing strange hormonal imbalances, and the reason his brothers' relationships had progressed much more quickly… it all had to do with simple biological instincts!

"Hazel, that's an amazing discovery! Did you figure that out yourself?"

"Uh, yeah, me and my biology book, that's all." He turned to completely face her.

"You're amazing, Hazel."

"See, there's that mating season talk again. Once you get back to normal, these things should stop…" Hazel speculated.

"N-no, I really mean it."

"No you don't."

"Yeah I do."

"No, it's the hormones talking."

"Why can't you just believe me?! I'm complimenting you!" Donnie was getting seriously frustrated now.

"Why can't _you_ believe _me_? My statements are based on scientific facts, and yours are obviously opinions! Ones that are influenced by the mating season!"

"Yeah but the opinion is mine! Doesn't that matter to you?" He refrained from saying 'don't _I_ matter to you?'

"It does, but I don't know what to think right now! You know what, Donnie, I'm just gonna head home, ok?" she stood up and hastily left the lab, probably to pry her sisters from his brother's faces or something. He knew he'd made her mad, but he didn't think that he'd made a mistake. _She's the one who can't take anything but the facts! Well, look at me, Donatello, pointing fingers at another person with the same flaws as me. I just need some time to think._


End file.
